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Exclusive Interview: Michael Gluck, "Piano Squall"

Q: Games are getting bigger and bigger, and more and more people are starting to correctly categorize them as a legitimate entertainment medium. That being said, do you think your CD would cater to non-gamers, and those who simply appreciate good music (and good piano)?

Gluck: Many of the people who attend my concerts are younger and are accompanied by non-gaming parents. When I have the opportunity to meet the audience after the concert, I often discover that the parents enjoyed the music just as much as their children, but for different reasons. The younger audience knows the story that goes with the music, and when they listen, their minds are focused on more than just the music. They are also imagining the visuals that accompany each piece and reliving the emotions they felt when they played that game or saw that anime for the first time. The parents don't know the stories, so their experience is all about the beauty of the music itself. It's clear to me that game and anime music is so beautiful that its appeal extends to all lovers of music.

Q: You mentioned earlier that Final Fantasy was the inspiration for getting you started with the piano, so obviously you're a gamer as well as a musician. What are you favorite types of games and what are your favorite kinds of music?

Gluck: I'm all about RPGs. I seriously must have beaten more than 60 of them in my life. Every Final Fantasy, every Suikoden, every Xenosaga, Xenogears, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Star Ocean; I'll play any RPG I can get my hands on. I love RPG music best because all of these songs are associated with relationships between characters, plot twists, battles--just so many memorable moments. When I hear this music, I instantly remember the scene in the game, and I relive that experience again and again.

Q: Oh, we at PSXE love our RPGs as well. Do you plan to do another CD after GAME, and if so, do you have an idea as to which tracks/games might be represented?

Gluck: I'm actually hard at work on a second album of original videogame-style compositions. I am excited to make some new contributions to the game music world.